Crown Molding Cutting Apparatus and Method

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus are provided, for positioning a work piece, such as a piece of crown molding, through use of an apparatus including a work piece support plate pivotably attached along a pivot axis to a base. The base is adapted to rest on a horizontal reference plane, such as the table of a mitre saw, for pivoting motion of the support plate about the pivot axis to a desired angle with respect to the base, while the pivot axis is simultaneously positioned to extend substantially parallel to a longitudinal line of intersection between a horizontal and a vertical reference plane, established by the table and fence of the mitre saw, to hold the work piece at a desired tilt angle with respect to the vertical reference plane, so that the work piece may be cut in substantially the same orientation as it will be mounted.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

This patent application is a divisional of co-pending U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/116,301, filed May 7, 2008, which will issue asU.S. Pat. No. 7,930,961 on Apr. 26, 2011. This patent application claimsthe benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/916,529, filedMay 7, 2007, the entire teachings and disclosures of which areincorporated herein by reference thereto.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to mitre cutting of work pieces, such as crownmolding or the like, which are normally installed at an angle from areference plane, and more particularly to facilitating the cutting ofsuch materials with regard to the table and fence of conventionalmitre-type cutting tools in substantially the final installationorientation of the crown molding or the like with respect to itsreference surface.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In order to achieve a pleasing aesthetic appearance, decorative trimpieces, often referred to as crown molding, are sometimes installed atan angle along the intersection of a horizontal and a vertical surface,such as is formed by the ceiling and the walls of a room, for example.Such angled moldings are also often attached at the top end of thevertical front and sides of cabinetry or furniture pieces.Traditionally, such angled trim pieces have been mounted in such amanner that they tilt outward from the mounting surface at predeterminedangles, such as 38 degrees, 45 degrees or 52 degrees. Crown molding willtypically be designed for use at a particular predetermined angle.

Where adjacent pieces of crown molding intersect one another, such as atthe corners of a room, or at the corners of a piece of cabinetry orfurniture, for example, the abutting pieces of molding must be preciselycut at a compound angle, in order to achieve a proper fit at thejuncture of the two adjacent pieces of angled molding. Typically, suchcutting is done with the use of a device such as a mitre saw, which hasa horizontal table and a fence extending vertically above the table, forsupporting the work piece as it is cut to the proper angle. In the past,in order to cut crown molding on a saw having a standard table and fencearrangement, it has been necessary to place the work piece on the tablein a position substantially upside down and reversed from the positionin which it is to be installed. The blade of the saw must then beprecisely set at an angle which is also substantially opposite from theangle at which the finished piece will abut the adjoining piece ofmolding when installed.

As anyone who has ever attempted to cut crown molding with a typicalmitre saw table and fence arrangement will attest, the entire processcan be very confusing and frustrating, and often results in the waste ofconsiderable material and time due to mistakes being made in trying toget the work piece properly oriented in the proper upside-down,backwards, oppositely oriented position on the saw table.

It is highly desirable, therefore, to provide an improved apparatus andmethod for cutting work pieces of crown molding and the like, usingtypical mitre-cutting saws in a manner which allows the work piece to bepositioned with reference to the table and fence of the mitre-cuttingsaw in the same orientation as the crown molding will eventually beinstalled.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides an improved method and apparatus for positioninga work piece, such as a piece of crown molding, through use of anapparatus including a work piece support plate pivotably attached alonga pivot axis to a base which is adapted to rest on a horizontalreference plane, such as the table of a mitre saw, for pivoting motionof the support plate about the pivot axis to a desired angle withrespect to the base, while the pivot axis is simultaneously positionedto extend substantially parallel to a longitudinal line of intersectionbetween a horizontal and vertical reference plane, such as areestablished by the surface of the table and fence of a typical mitresaw, to thereby hold the work piece at a desired tilt angle with respectto the vertical reference plane.

In one form of the invention, an apparatus is provided for positioning awork piece, with respect to substantially horizontal and verticalreference planes intersecting one another along a longitudinal line ofintersection at substantially right angles to one another, so that thework piece can be cut along a cutting plane passing through both thehorizontal and vertical reference planes and defining a cutting line ofintersection with the horizontal plane disposed at a desired cuttingangle from the longitudinal line of intersection of the reference planeswhile the apparatus holds the work piece in a tilted position at adesired tilt angle with respect to the vertical plane. The apparatusincludes a work piece support plate which is pivotably attached along apivot axis to a base. The base is adapted to rest on the horizontalreference plane, to allow for pivoting motion of the support plate aboutthe pivot axis to the desired tilt angle with respect to the verticalreference plane, while the apparatus is positioned on the horizontalplane with the pivot axis extending parallel to the longitudinal line ofintersection between the horizontal and vertical reference planes.

In some forms of the invention, the apparatus also includes a releasableretaining arrangement, which is operatively connectable between the workpiece support plate and the base, for holding the work piece supportplate at the desired tilt angle from the vertical reference plane.

In some forms of the invention, the releasable retaining arrangement isconfigured for holding the work piece support plate at two or moredifferent potential desired tilt angles. The work piece support plate,in some forms of the invention, may also be pivotable about the pivotaxis from the desired tilt angle to an angular position adjacent thebase, for compact stowage of the apparatus.

Where the work piece has bottom and rear reference surfaces thereof, anda front face thereof, all extending along a longitudinal axis of thework piece, the work piece support plate may have a work piece supportsurface thereof that is adapted for engaging at least a portion of thefront face of the work piece, while the bottom and rear referencesurfaces of the work piece are operatively engaging the horizontal andvertical reference planes respectively, in such a manner that the workpiece is supported by the apparatus at the desired tilt angle from thevertical reference plane with the longitudinal axis of the work pieceextending substantially parallel to the longitudinal line ofintersection of the horizontal and vertical reference planes. Where thefront face of the work piece has a protrusion, such as a dentil, forexample, extending therefrom, the support surface of the support platemay be configured for receiving the protrusion in a non-supportingmanner, while the front face of the work piece is engaging the supportsurface in a supporting manner at the at least a portion of the frontface.

Where a work piece is configured for mounting at a predetermined tiltangle from a tilt angle reference plane, an apparatus may furtherinclude a gage member configured for determining the predetermined tiltangle of the work piece. In some forms of the invention, the gage membermay be attachable to the base for stowage.

A releasable retaining arrangement, according to the invention, mayinclude a brace member adapted for operative attachment between the baseand the support plate. The brace member may be configured for holdingthe work piece support plate at two or more potential desired tiltangles. In some forms of the invention, the brace member may bepivotably attached to one of the base and support plate, and may furtherhave a distal portion thereof adapted for fixable attachment to theother of the base and the support plate. The other of the base andsupport plate may further include a recess therein, for receiving andretaining the distal portion of the brace member. The other of the baseand support plate may also include two or more recesses therein, eachconfigured for receiving and retaining the distal portion of the bracemember, when the brace member is pivoted with respect to the one of thebase and support plate to a corresponding position for holding the workpiece support plate at one or the other of the two or more differentpotential desired tilt angles.

In some forms of the invention, the support plate may include openingsextending therethrough from the support surface to each of the recesseson the backside of the support plate, such that the distal end of thebrace member is visible from the support surface of the support platethrough the opening extending from one of the recesses in which thedistal end of the brace member is received. In this manner, positioningof the support plate at a desired angle is facilitated.

In embodiments of the invention in which the support surface of thesupport plate includes a longitudinally extending groove therein, forreceiving a protrusion of the work piece, such as a dentil, while theremainder of the front face is engaging the support surface, theinvention may further include at least one insert adapted to be retainedin the longitudinally extending groove and having an insert supportsurface thereof for at least partially extending the support surface ofthe support plate across the longitudinally extending groove. Such aninsert may be used for enhancing support of the work piece for workpieces not having a protrusion, or for work pieces having a width smallenough that they would not extend sufficiently beyond the longitudinallyextending groove to be adequately supported by the support surface ofthe support plate. Embodiments of the invention including one or moreinserts adapted to be retained in the longitudinally extending groovemay also include a storage tray adapted for removable attachment to thesupport plate for storage of the inserts within the storage tray. Thestorage tray may be configured for attachment to the support plate ineither an operating or a stowage position of the support plate, withrespect to the base. The storage tray may further be configured toprovide an enlarged gripping surface when attached to the support platewhile the support plate is in the operating position.

The invention may also take the form of a method for constructing anapparatus, according to the invention, or a method for positioning awork piece utilizing an apparatus according to the invention.

Other aspects, objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentfrom the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of theinvention as shown in the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of thespecification illustrate several aspects of the present invention and,together with the description, serve to explain the principles of theinvention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of a first exemplary embodiment ofa positioning apparatus, according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of the manner in which the first exemplaryembodiment of the positioning apparatus of FIG. 1 may be utilized forholding a work piece at a desired tilt angle with respect to a verticaland a horizontal reference plane.

FIG. 3 is a perspective illustration of the manner in which the workpiece of FIG. 2 may be cut at a desired cutting angle along a cuttingplane when held at the desired tilt angle by the positioning apparatus,according to the invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional schematic illustration of a work piece, inthe form of a crown molding positioned for mounting at the intersectionof a wall and a ceiling, and further illustrating the manner in which agage member, of the first exemplary embodiment of the apparatus shown inFIGS. 1-3, may be utilized for determining the proper tilt angle formounting the work piece.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the positioning apparatus of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 6 and 7 are end views of the apparatus of FIG. 1 configured forpositioning work pieces having differing tilt angles.

FIGS. 8 and 9 are an end view and a perspective illustration,respectively, of the first exemplary embodiment of the positioningapparatus of FIG. 1, with the positioning apparatus folded into acompact position for stowage.

FIGS. 10 and 11 are a side view and a front view, respectively, of asecond exemplary embodiment of a positioning apparatus, according to theinvention, which includes an insert in a longitudinally extending groovein the support plate of the apparatus, a detachable tray for storage ofthe insert when not in use, and a plurality of openings extendingthrough the support plate so that a distal end of a brace member may beviewed through a support surface of the support plate to therebyfacilitate angular positioning of the support plate.

FIGS. 12-14 are side views sequentially illustrating the manner in whichthe second exemplary embodiment of the positioning apparatus shown inFIG. 10 may be reconfigured from an operating to a stowage position.

While the invention will be described in connection with certainpreferred embodiments, there is no intent to limit it to thoseembodiments. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives,modifications and equivalents as included within the spirit and scope ofthe invention as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a first exemplary embodiment of an apparatus 100, accordingto the invention, for positioning a work piece, in the form of a lengthof crown molding 102, on the table 104 and against the fence 106 of amitre saw, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, so that the work piece 102 can becut while positioned on the saw 108 substantially in the sameorientation as the crown molding 102 will be installed along theintersection of a wall 110 and ceiling 112, as shown in FIG. 4.

Specifically, with reference to FIGS. 2-4, the positioning apparatus 100orients and holds the work piece 102 with respect to substantiallyhorizontal and vertical reference planes 114, 116 defined by the workingfaces of the table 104 and fence 106, respectively, of the mitre saw108. The horizontal and vertical planes 114, 116 intersect one anotheralong a longitudinal line of intersection 118 at a right angle to oneanother. The vertical reference plane 116 established by the fence 106represents the vertical mounting surface 120 of the wall 110, againstwhich the lower end of the crown molding 102 will abut when the crownmolding is installed at the intersection of the wall and the ceiling110, 112. In similar fashion, the horizontal reference plane 114,established by the working surface of the table 104 is representative ofa plane extending parallel to a horizontal mounting surface 122 of theceiling 112, against which an upper end of the crown molding 102 willabut when the crown molding 102 is mounted at the intersection of thewall and the ceiling 110, 112.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the first exemplary embodiment of thepositioning apparatus 100 includes a work piece support plate 124 thatis pivotably attached along a pivot axis 126, through a hingearrangement including a first hinge pin 128, to a base 130. The base 130has a lower surface thereof adapted to rest on the horizontal referenceplane 114, established by the table 104 of the saw 108.

The first exemplary embodiment of the positioning apparatus 100 alsoincludes a releasable retaining arrangement, generally indicated byreference numeral 132 in FIGS. 1, 2, and 5, which is operativelyconnectable between the work piece support plate 124 and the base 130,for holding the work piece support 124 at a desired tilt angle 133 fromthe vertical reference plane 116, with the angle 133 between the workpiece 102 and the vertical reference plane 116 substantially matching adesired tilt angle 133 between the wall 110 and the crown mold 102 whenthe crown mold is mounted in its final orientation at the intersectionof the wall 110 and the ceiling 112 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 4.

Specifically, the releasable retaining arrangement 132, in the firstexemplary embodiment of the positioning apparatus 100, includes a bracemember 134 having a first end thereof pivotably attached to the base 130by a second hinge pin 136 for pivoting motion of the brace member 134about a second pivot axis 138. The distal end 140 of the brace member134 is configured to engage and be retained within one of three recesses142, 144, 146 in the work piece support plate 124, in the mannerillustrated in FIGS. 2, 6 and 7, so that a work piece support surface148 of the work piece support plate 124 may be properly positioned forholding the work piece 102 at one of the three predetermined potentialdesired tilt angles 134, when the work piece 102 is being cut by the saw108.

The first, second and third recesses 142, 144, 146 and the brace member134 are cooperatively configured for positioning the work piece supportsurface 148 to provide tilt angles 134 of 52 degrees, 45 degrees, and 38degrees, respectively, between the work piece 102 and the verticalreference plane 116. These angles represent those commonly used withcrown moldings, but it will be understood that in other embodiments ofthe invention other angles could also be utilized. It will further beunderstood, that in other embodiments of the invention, a releasableretaining arrangement, according to the invention, could take otherforms which would allow for adjusting and locking the work piece supportsurface 124 at an infinite number of angular positions. It will furtherbe understood that, in other embodiments of the invention, a pivotablebrace member, of the type described above, could have a first endthereof pivotably attached to the work piece support plate 124 and adistal end thereof engaging recesses in the baseplate 130.

As best seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, the first exemplary embodiment of thepositioning apparatus 100 also includes a pair of gage members 150, 152for determining the appropriate tilt angle 133 for a given work piece102. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the crown molding 102 has bottom and rearreference surface thereof 154, 156 that are configured to extendperpendicularly from and rest against the mounting surface 120 of thewall 110 when the crown molding 102 is properly installed. Such anarrangement of bottom and rear mounting surfaces is typical for crownmolding, and the gage blocks 150, 152 may be utilized as an aid indetermining the proper tilt angle 133 for installing a given piece ofcrown molding 102.

For example, as illustrated by dashed lines in FIG. 4, the second gagemember 152 is configured substantially as a triangle having corners of90 degrees, 38 degrees and 52 degrees, respectively. For the crown mold102 illustrated in FIG. 4, the second gage member 152 indicates that thecrown mold 102 was designed to have its bottom and rear referencesurface 154, 156 thereof perpendicular to, and resting flat against, thesurface 120 of the wall 110 when the crown mold 102 is installed at atilt angle 133 of 52 degrees.

The first gage member 150 is also substantially triangularly shaped, andhas corners of 90 degrees, 45 degrees and 45 degrees, respectively.Those having skill in the art will appreciate that through use of one orthe other of the first and second gage members 150, 152, the tilt angle133 at which a particular work piece 102 of crown molding should beinstalled can be determined in the same manner as described above withregard to FIG. 4.

It will further be appreciated, with reference to FIG. 4, that the firstexemplary embodiment of the work piece 102 of crown molding includes aprotrusion 158, in the form of a dentil, which extends substantiallybeyond the remainder of the front surface 160 of the work piece 102. Asshown in FIG. 2, the work piece support surface 148 of the work piecesupport plate 124 is configured to include a longitudinally extendinggroove 162 therein, for receiving the protrusion 158 in a non-supportingmanner front face 160 of the work piece 102 is otherwise engaging thesupport surface 148 of the support plate 124 in a supporting manner.

The first and second gage members 150, 152, in the first exemplaryembodiment of the apparatus 100 are removeably attachable to the base130 by quick-turn fasteners, of the type disclosed in commonly assignedU.S. Pat. No. 7,089,978, titled “Tool Attachment System And RouterAttachment And Method Incorporating Same,” by Karkosch et al., thedisclosures and teaches of which are incorporated herein by reference intheir entireties.

By virtue of the construction described above, once the appropriate tiltangle 133 is established for a given work piece 102 of crown molding,the distal end 140 of the brace member 134 of the positioning apparatus100 is inserted into the appropriate recess 142, 144, 146 in the workpiece support plate 124, while the base 130 of the positioning apparatus100 is resting on the table 104 of the mitre saw 108. The work piece 102is then held with its front face 160 at least partially contacting thework piece support surface 148, in the manner illustrated in FIG. 2,with the bottom and rear reference surfaces 154, 156 of the work piecein contact with the table 104, and fence 106 of the saw 108.

It will be appreciated that with the work piece 102 held in this mannerby the positioning apparatus 100 in abutment with the table and fence104, 106 of the saw, the work piece 102 is properly positioned at thesame tilt angle 133 as the work piece will be mounted as shown in FIG.4.

With the work piece thus held in position, it can then be cut along acutting plane 164 which passes through both the horizontal and verticalreference planes, in the manner illustrated in FIG. 3, to define acutting line of intersection 166 with the horizontal reference plane114, with the cutting plane 164 being disposed at a desired cuttingangle 168 from the vertical reference plane 116. Typically, the cuttingangle 168 in a crown molding installation along the intersection of awall and a ceiling, or at the top of a piece of furniture or cabinetry,for example, will be set at one-half of the angle of intersectingvertical reference planes such as might be encountered at the corner ofa room. Specifically, for a typical corner of 90 degrees, the cuttingangle 168 would be set at 45 degrees.

It will be appreciated, therefore, that the invention provides anapparatus and method for positioning a work piece with respect tosubstantially horizontal and vertical reference planes intersecting oneanother along a longitudinal line of intersection at a right angle toone another, so that the work piece can be cut along a cutting planepassing through both the horizontal and vertical reference planes anddefining a cutting line of intersection with the horizontal planedisposed at a desired cutting angle from the longitudinal line ofintersection of the reference planes, while the apparatus holds the workpiece in a tilted position at a desired tilt angle with respect to thevertical reference plane. Simply stated, the invention allows a workpiece, such as a piece of crown molding or the like, to be convenientlypositioned for cutting in substantially the same position as it will bemounted.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the work piece support plate 124, in thefirst exemplary embodiment of the apparatus 100, includes a supportplate stiffener 170, and, in similar fashion, the base 130 includes abase stiffener 172. It will be appreciated that, in other embodiments ofthe invention, the support plate 124 and/or the base 130 may beconstructed in a variety of other configurations, in accordance with theinvention, which do not include the use of such stiffeners 170, 172. Forexample, as described in detail below and illustrated in FIGS. 10-14,the support plate 224 of the second exemplary embodiment of apositioning apparatus 200, according to the invention, does not includea support plate stiffener.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, in the first exemplary embodiment of thepositioning apparatus 100, the brace member 134 is configured to foldflat against the base 130 and the work piece support plate 124 isconfigured to be pivotable about the pivot axis 126 from any of thedesired tilt angles 134 to an angular position adjacent the base 130,for compact stowage of the positioning apparatus 100. As will beunderstood from an examination of FIG. 5, the brace member 136 of thefirst exemplary embodiment 100 includes a pair of triangular shapedopenings 174, 176 therein which provide clearance around the first andsecond gage members 150, 152, when the gage members 150, 152 areattached to the base 130, so that the brace member 136 can pivot pastthe gage members 150, 152 into a folded flat position against the base130 for stowage.

FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate a second exemplary embodiment of apositioning apparatus 200, according to the invention, which issubstantially similar in construction and operation to the firstexemplary embodiment of the positioning apparatus 100 described above,but having several additional features. To facilitate explanation andunderstanding of the second exemplary embodiment of the positioningapparatus 200, the components and features thereof will generally bearreference numerals which are incremented by 100 over the referencenumerals for similar components and features described above in relationto FIGS. 1-9.

The second exemplary embodiment of the positioning apparatus 200includes a work piece support plate 224, a base 230 and a brace member234 which are generally configured and interconnected for pivotingmovement with respect to one another in the same manner as thecorresponding parts 124, 130, 134 of the first exemplary embodiment ofthe positioning apparatus 100 described above. The brace member 234 ispivotably attached at a lower end thereof to the base 230 and includes adistal end 240 thereof which engages with a series of three recesses inthe backside of the support plate 224, for positioning the support plate224 at one of three desired angles, i.e. 38, 45 or 52 degrees, with onlyone recess 242 of the three recesses in the backside of the supportplate 224 being shown in cross-section in FIG. 10.

As best seen in FIG. 11, with reference to FIG. 10, in the secondexemplary embodiment of the positioning apparatus 200, the support plate224 includes three pairs of openings 282, 284, 286, which extend throughthe support plate 224 from the support surface 248 of the support plate224. Each opening of each of the three pairs of openings 282, 284, 286intersects with a corresponding one of the three recesses in the backside of the support plate 224, in the manner illustrated in the cut-awaysection of FIG. 10 with respect to the openings 282 and the distal end140 of the brace member 234 with the brace member 234 engaging therecess 282, so that the position of the distal end 240 of the bracemember 234 may be viewed looking through the openings 282, 284, 286,from the support surface 248 of the support plate 224, in the mannerillustrated for the openings 282 in FIG. 11. The openings 282, 284, 286,therefore, facilitate operation of the positioning apparatus 200 byproviding a convenient way to determine that the brace member 234 isindeed positioned at a desired angle, of 52 degrees, for example, asshown in FIG. 11.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the support surface 248 of the supportplate 224 of the second exemplary embodiment of the work piecepositioning apparatus 200 includes a longitudinally extending groove 262therein, for receipt of dentils or other protrusions 158 (see FIG. 4) ofthe work piece 102 which may extend beyond the remainder of the frontsurface 160 of the work piece 102. The second exemplary embodiment ofthe work piece positioning apparatus 200 further includes a pair ofinserts 290, 292 which are adapted to fit into and be retained withinthe longitudinally extending groove 262, to bridge the longitudinallyextending groove 262, for use with work pieces that do not includeprotrusions extending beyond the front surface of the work piece, or foradapting the positioning apparatus 200 for use with work pieces whichmay have a width too small to bridge the longitudinally extending groove262 to a point of support along the support face 248 above thelongitudinally extending groove 262.

An insert storage tray 294 is provided for stowage of the inserts 290,292 when they are not being used, or when the second exemplaryembodiment of the positioning apparatus 200 is folded into a stowageposition as shown in FIG. 14.

The insert storage tray 294 is configured to be alternatively attachableto the backside of the support plate 224, in the manner illustrated inFIG. 10, by any appropriate means such as snap interconnections,fasteners, clips or turn-lock retainers. As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14,the storage tray 294, of the second exemplary embodiment 200, is furtheradapted to be alternatively attached to the support surface 248 of thesupport plate 224, for stowage within of the inserts 290, 292 when thepositioning apparatus 200 is folded for storage, as shown in FIG. 14.

The exemplary embodiment of the storage tray 294 includes a pair of snapconnections 296 at opposite ends of the storage tray 294, which arevisible in FIG. 11, for connection of the storage tray 294 to the workpiece support plate 224. In addition, a pivoting storage tray connector298 is pivotably attached to the distal end of the work piece supportplate 224, and the storage tray 294 and the storage tray retainer 298include a turn-lock fastener (not shown) which additionally serves tosecure the storage tray 294 to the support plate 224 in either anoperating position of the positioning apparatus 200, as shown in FIG.10, or in a stowed position of the apparatus 200, as shown in FIG. 14.The combination of the snap connections 296 and the turn-lock retentionfeature between the storage tray 294 and the storage tray retainer 298serve to securely lock the storage tray 294 to the support plate 224 insuch a manner that when the storage tray 294 is locked into theoperating position, as shown in FIG. 10, the storage tray 294 serves toenlarge the gripping area provided by the positioning apparatus 200.

FIGS. 10 and 12-14 sequentially illustrate the manner in which theinserts 290, 292 may be placed inside of the storage tray 294, and thestorage tray 294 moved from the backside to the working surface 248 ofthe support plate, so that the brace member 234 and support plate 224may be rotated counter-clockwise (as shown in FIGS. 10 and 12-14) froman operating position to a stowed position of the apparatus 200.

All references, including publications, patent applications, and patentscited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent asif each reference were individually and specifically indicated to beincorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.

The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in thecontext of describing the invention (especially in the context of thefollowing claims) is to be construed to cover both the singular and theplural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted bycontext. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing”are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, butnot limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. Recitation of ranges of valuesherein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referringindividually to each separate value falling within the range, unlessotherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated intothe specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methodsdescribed herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwiseindicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The useof any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”)provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the inventionand does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unlessotherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construedas indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice ofthe invention.

Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, includingthe best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention.Variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to thoseof ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. Theinventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations asappropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practicedotherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, thisinvention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subjectmatter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicablelaw. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in allpossible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unlessotherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

1-15. (canceled)
 16. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein, the other ofthe base and support plate comprises two or more recesses therein, eachconfigured for receiving and retaining the distal portion of the bracemember when the brace member is pivoted with respect to the one of thebase and support plate to a corresponding position for holding theworkpiece support plate at one or the other of two or more differentpotential desired tilt angles.
 17. The apparatus of claim 22, whereinthe support plate further comprises two or more recesses thereinopposite the support surface for receiving and retaining the distalportion of the brace member when the brace member is pivoted withrespect to the base to a corresponding position for holding theworkpiece support plate at one or the other of two or more differentpotential desired tilt angles.
 18. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein,the support plate further comprises openings extending therethrough fromthe support surface to the each of the recesses, such that the distalend of the brace member is visible from the support surface of thesupport plate through the opening extending from the one of the two ormore recesses in which the distal end of the brace member is received.19. (canceled)
 20. The apparatus of claim 31, further comprising, atleast one insert adapted to be retained in the longitudinally extendinggroove and having an insert support surface for at least partiallyextending the support surface of the support plate across thelongitudinally extending groove.
 21. (canceled)
 22. An apparatus forpositioning a workpiece at a stationary fixed location with respect tosubstantially horizontal and vertical reference planes intersecting oneanother along a longitudinal line of intersection at a right angle toone another, where the workpiece has bottom and rear reference surfacesthereof and a front face thereof all extending along a longitudinal axisof the workpiece, so that the workpiece can be cut by a cutting blademoving with respect to the stationary workpiece and the apparatus alonga cutting plane passing through both the horizontal and verticalreference planes and defining a cutting line of intersection with thehorizontal plane disposed at a desired cutting angle from thelongitudinal line of intersection of the reference planes while theapparatus holds the workpiece in a tilted position at a desired tiltangle with respect to the vertical plane in an orientation with respectto the horizontal and vertical reference planes and the cutting planematching an installed orientation of the workpiece, the apparatuscomprising: a workpiece support plate pivotably attached along a pivotaxis to a base adapted to rest on the horizontal reference plane, forpivoting motion of the support plate about the pivot axis to the desiredtilt angle with respect to the vertical reference plane with the pivotaxis extending parallel to the longitudinal line of intersection; and areleasable retaining arrangement operatively connectable between theworkpiece support plate and the base for holding the workpiece supportplate at the desired tilt angle from the vertical reference plane; theworkpiece support plate having a workpiece support surface thereofadapted for engaging at least a portion of the front face of theworkpiece while the bottom and rear reference surfaces of the workpieceare aligned with the horizontal and vertical reference planesrespectively in such a manner that apparatus is stationary at the fixedlocation with the workpiece supported by the apparatus in the installedorientation of the workpiece at the desired tilt angle from the verticalreference plane with the longitudinal axis of the workpiece extendingsubstantially parallel to the longitudinal line of intersection of thehorizontal and vertical reference planes in such a manner that theworkpiece and apparatus remain stationary with respect to the horizontaland vertical reference planes and the cutting plane at the fixedlocation such that the workpiece is oriented for cutting along thecutting plane by passage of the cutting blade through the workpiecealong the cutting plane; the releasable retaining arrangement having abrace member adapted for operative attachment between the base andsupport plate, and configured for holding the workpiece support plate attwo or more different potential desired tilt angles; the brace memberbeing pivotably attached to one of the base and the support plate andhaving a distal portion thereof adapted for fixable attachment to theother of the base and the support plate; and the other of the base andsupport plate further having at least one recess therein for receivingand retaining the distal portion of the brace member.
 23. The apparatusof claim 22, wherein, the workpiece support plate is pivotable about thepivot axis from the desired tilt angle to an angular position adjacentthe base, for compact stowage of the apparatus.
 24. The apparatus ofclaim 22, wherein, the front face of the workpiece has a protrusionextending therefrom, and the support surface of the support plate isconfigured for receiving the protrusion in a non-supporting manner whilethe front face of the workpiece is engaging the support surface in asupporting manner at the at least a portion of the front face.
 25. Theapparatus of claim 22, wherein: the support surface of the support plateincludes a longitudinally extending groove therein for receiving aprotrusion of the workpiece in a non-supporting manner while the frontface of the workpiece is engaging the support surface in a supportingmanner at the at least a portion of the front face; and the apparatusfurther includes at least one insert adapted to be retained in thelongitudinally extending groove and having an insert support surface forat least partially extending the support surface of the support plateacross the longitudinally extending groove.
 26. The apparatus of claim25, further comprising, a storage tray adapted for removable attachmentto the support plate for storage of the at least one insert within thestorage tray.
 27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein, the storage trayis attachable to the support plate in either an operating or a stowageposition of the support plate with respect to the base.
 28. Theapparatus of claim 27, wherein, the storage tray is configured toprovide an enlarged gripping surface when attached to the support platewhile the support plate is in the operating position.
 29. The apparatusof claim 22, wherein: the workpiece is configured for mounting at apredetermined tilt angle from a tilt angle reference plane; and theapparatus further comprises, a gage member configured for determiningthe predetermined tilt angle of the workpiece.
 30. The apparatus ofclaim 29, wherein, the gage member is attachable to the base forstowage.
 31. An apparatus for positioning a workpiece, with respect tosubstantially horizontal and vertical reference planes intersecting oneanother along a longitudinal line of intersection at a right angle toone another, where the workpiece has bottom and rear reference surfacesthereof and a front face thereof all extending along a longitudinal axisof the workpiece, so that the workpiece can be cut along a cutting planepassing through both the horizontal and vertical reference planes anddefining a cutting line of intersection with the horizontal planedisposed at a desired cutting angle from the longitudinal line ofintersection of the reference planes while the apparatus holds theworkpiece in a tilted position at a desired tilt angle with respect tothe vertical plane, the apparatus comprising: a workpiece support platepivotably attached along a pivot axis to a base adapted to rest on thehorizontal reference plane, for pivoting motion of the support plateabout the pivot axis to the desired tilt angle with respect to thevertical reference plane with the pivot axis extending parallel to thelongitudinal line of intersection; and a releasable retainingarrangement operatively connectable between the workpiece support plateand the base for holding the workpiece support plate at the desired tiltangle from the vertical reference plane; the workpiece support platehaving a workpiece support surface thereof adapted for engaging at leasta portion of the front face of the workpiece while the bottom and rearreference surfaces of the workpiece are operatively engaging thehorizontal and vertical reference planes respectively in such a mannerthat the workpiece is supported by the apparatus at the desired tiltangle from the vertical reference plane with the longitudinal axis ofthe workpiece extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal lineof intersection of the horizontal and vertical reference planes; thereleasable retaining arrangement having a brace member adapted foroperative attachment between the base and support plate, and configuredfor holding the workpiece support plate at two or more differentpotential desired tilt angles; the brace member being pivotably attachedto one of the base and the support plate and having a distal portionthereof adapted for fixable attachment to the other of the base and thesupport plate; and the other of the base and support plate furtherhaving at least one recess therein for receiving and retaining thedistal portion of the brace member; the support surface of the supportplate having a longitudinally extending groove therein for receiving aprotrusion of the workpiece in a non-supporting manner while the frontface of the workpiece is engaging the support surface in a supportingmanner at the at least a portion of the front face.
 32. A method forpositioning a workpiece in a stationary fixed location in an orientationmatching an installed orientation of the workpiece with respect tosubstantially horizontal and vertical reference planes intersecting oneanother along a longitudinal line of intersection at a right angle toone another, where the workpiece has bottom and rear reference surfacesthereof and a front face thereof all extending along a longitudinal axisof the workpiece, so that the workpiece can be cut by a cutting blademoving with respect to the stationary workpiece and the apparatus alonga cutting plane passing through both the horizontal and verticalreference planes and defining a cutting line of intersection with thehorizontal plane disposed at a desired cutting angle from thelongitudinal line of intersection of the reference planes while theapparatus holds the workpiece in a tilted position at a desired tiltangle with respect to the vertical plane, the method comprising,positioning the workpiece, in the stationary fixed location in theorientation matching the installed orientation of the workpiece, with anapparatus disposed at a stationary fixed location of the apparatus withrespect to the horizontal and vertical reference planes and the cuttingplane, wherein the apparatus comprises: a workpiece support platepivotably attached along a pivot axis to a base adapted to rest on thehorizontal reference plane, for pivoting motion of the support plateabout the pivot axis to the desired tilt angle with respect to thevertical reference plane with the pivot axis extending parallel to thelongitudinal line of intersection; and a releasable retainingarrangement operatively connectable between the workpiece support plateand the base for holding the workpiece support plate at the desired tiltangle from the vertical reference plane; the workpiece support platehaving a workpiece support surface thereof adapted for engaging at leasta portion of the front face of the workpiece while the bottom and rearreference surfaces of the workpiece are aligned with the horizontal andvertical reference planes respectively in such a manner that theworkpiece is supported by the apparatus at the desired tilt angle fromthe vertical reference plane with the longitudinal axis of the workpieceextending substantially parallel to the longitudinal line ofintersection of the horizontal and vertical reference planes; thereleasable retaining arrangement having a brace member adapted foroperative attachment between the base and support plate, and configuredfor holding the workpiece support plate at two or more differentpotential desired tilt angles; the brace member being pivotably attachedto one of the base and the support plate and having a distal portionthereof adapted for fixable attachment to the other of the base and thesupport plate; and the other of the base and support plate furtherhaving at least one recess therein for receiving and retaining thedistal portion of the brace member.